On May 4, the Seven Hills Fire Department is asking residents to pass Issue 6, which is a 5.04-mill renewal levy that was originally passed in 2006.
The fire levy costs a $100,000 homeowner $176.40 a year and raises $1.6 annually for the 45-member part-time Seven Hills Fire Department.
“It’s critical for us,” Seven Hills Fire Chief Jamie Meklemburg said. “This is 95 percent of our operating budget so without this we’re dipping into the general fund in a major way, which obviously that money could be used for a lot of different things. “Being a renewal, it’s not an increase of tax dollars. A lot of the programs we run here -- as far as public education, fire prevention and car seat installations -- are paid for with those dollars.” The Seven Hills Fire Department operates five firefighters around the clock by city ordinance and runs two ambulances.